Ignorant or Acceptable?

[VeganBikeChick]

This evening as I was driving to work, I noticed 2 cyclists in the bike lane, riding abreast. Well, one was in the bike lane. The companion, riding next to her, was not in the lane at all but taking up a vehicle lane. This was rush hour, with lots of traffic around, on a one way street.

While I was initially happy to see fellow cyclists, I admit I was peeved that the cyclist outside the lane wouldn't ride in front of or behind his companion. The bike lane is only big enough for one cyclist to ride safely in without the other one leading or following.

I also noticed that as they came to a stoplight, they waited to see that traffic had disappeared in the right of way lanes, then blew through the red light.

What's your opinion? Was it ok for the cyclist to not ride in the bike lane and instead take up a vehicle lane because he was with a companion and 2 abreast is ok here?

[Eden]

In Washington it is not required for cyclists to ride in a bike lane. There are many legitimate reasons for not using them. 2 abreast is totally legal here - and that would be 2 abreast in the lane - so there could have been two cyclists in the normal lane and as many as could fit in the bike lane and that still would be legal.

Blowing a red light is another thing all together. Even if it is "safe" you shouldn't do it.

[Brina]

Honestly, chalk this up to reasons motorists dislike cyclists.

[pll]

I know it is legal in many places, including around here, but I have found car drivers are particularly aggressive in the situation described by VeganBikeChick. You will hear more honking and experience close passing. Whenever I ride with someone else, I avoid that situation.

[Blueberry]

Bike Lanes:

Legal, probably. Rude, Yes. I wouldn't do it. But I wouldn't say something to anyone else for doing it.

Red Light:

Not OK. Under any circumstances (other than a light that won't trigger - which this wasn't).

[Zippinalong]

There have been incidents of road rage against bicyclists so why they insist on doing these kinds of things I don't know. I have in the past said something to bicyclists who road in such a manner to let them know it's unsafe and it's asking for trouble.
Be smart about what you're doing. It's not a hill worth dying over.

[goldfinch]

It may or may not be legal, depending where you are. But even if legal it is rude and does not help the reputation of the biking community. I was in a town a few days ago that put out a local bike map. The map said that when there is a bike lane bikers are required to ride in that lane. The map didn't mention what to do if you were going to make a left turn.

I am very frustrated with red lights that won't trigger. I hate going through them and often end up doing some kind of convoluted loop to avoid it.

Be frank folks, do you ever run stop signs? I admit that I do too frequently on quiet streets but I check carefully to make sure no one is around. I have made a right turn at a stop sign without stopping, (I do slow to just short of a stop) when people are around but not going where I am going. I think that I am adding to bad biker reputation for doing this so I have been stopping if anyone is around. I never run a stop sign with a car. Never. So I have a hypocrite thing going here.

Right now I am in a city where a MUP runs through a residential neighborhood. There are stop signs on every alley entrance and every single street. I'm not stopping, I am looking, just like everyone else on the trail. Even the city knows that people are going to run the signs because when a busy intersection is coming up they also put a warning "important intersection" ahead of time so you be sure to stop.

[Reesha]

St. Louis is infamous for the number of stop signs. Usually people slow to 3-5 miles per hour in their car and then roll through them... a 'st. louis stop'. On my bike, I'm traveling at about that speed when I roll them, so I'm fine with it. Naturally I stop if it's not my turn, just as I would with a car.

Red lights are a different story. In the morning when I am commuting to work at 5:30 and no cars are around whatsoever, I will ride through red lights. Not all of them trigger (it's even more frustrating when I'm on my registered scooter-- at which time I'll do that convoluted loop to get through it), and in those cases I'll go over to the cross walk and cross there.

If cars are around though, I make a point to be on my best behavior. I do not want to give drivers any more reason to be angry toward cyclists-- people really do lose their senses over them and car vs. bike is a losing battle for us. Being a courteous cyclist around autos may not do a whole lot (inevitably some asshat will do something stupid to set them off on all of us), but it's something!

[amb]

I have never ridden two abreast except once on a very empty country road for a few miles. As a motorist it annoys me when cyclists do this so I don't. Why? There's just no need. Be polite and give everyone some space.

As for running the red light, I only do it if I can't get the light to trigger AND I stop and make sure it's very clear to go (not a regular event). My regular route also has a couple lights where it's a three road intersection with no road on the right. Occasionally I will only slow way down but not stop since there's not traffic to my right and I have a wide shoulder.

I prefer to be that cyclist who follows the traffic signals so as not to contribute to the bad name a few bad apples give us. Even if there are no oncoming vehicles, we are responsible to ride like we are one. Just my .02......